Innovate: Vermont companies news for week of Nov. 22

Nov. 19, 2012

• Otter Creek Brewing Co., of Middlebury, took home gold, silver and two bronze medals at that 16th annual Great International Beer Festival this month in Providence, R.I. A panel of 83 judges selected winners in 44 categories after blind tasting 470 beers and ciders from around the globe.

Included in the medal count were Otter Creek's flagship Copper Ale,( which took silver in the German Altbier category), the newly released Hop Session Ale (scoring a bronze in the American Pale Ale category) and Stovepipe Porter, which also scored a bronze in the Brown Porter category, according to a news release Wolaver's Fine Organic Ales, a member of Otter Creek Brewing, won gold with Wolaver's Unfiltered Brown Ale.

• Long Trail Ale won a gold medal at the Great International Beer Festival in Providence, R.I., earlier this month. The competition featured 470 beers and ciders judged by 83 industry professionals and beer journalists. Long Trail Ale, a German Altbier, was rated best in its category.

• Northern Benefits, a small group benefits brokerage in Vermont, has launched a new affiliate called NB Insurance. NB Insurance provides expanded access to business and personal insurance carriers, including policies for auto, home and commercial insurance.

In support of the growing venture, Northern Benefits has hired Jeffrey Robbins as a senior account executive. Robbins is responsible for providing property and casualty insurance for businesses and individuals.

• Vermont Farmstead Cheese Co., which has been making cheese since early last year, is expanding its distribution to 15 states this month.

Fifteen of the company’s 17 cheeses have won awards. Among them is one named for Gov. Peter Schumlin — the Governor’s Cheddar, which was rated the No. 1 cow’s milk cheddar, aged 12 to 24 months, at the 2012 American Cheese Society Annual Conference and Competition.

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• Maloney Properties Inc., a women-owned business with offices across Vermont as well as Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island was named in the “Top Places to Work 2012” list compiled by the Boston Globe.

The company was ranked among the best employers “for its progressive benefits, creative perks, allowing flexible work schedules that promote a healthy work – home life balance,” a news release stated. “The firm also embraces diversity with over 50 percent of its workforce African-American, Latino and Asian.”

• Murdoch, Hughes and Twarog law firm received a Tier 1 ranking in the 2013 Edition of U.S. News-Best Lawyers “Best Law Firms.”

“This ranking was determined through the firm’s overall evaluation, which was derived from a combination of feedback from clients’ and fellow attorneys, and information provided in response to a law firm survey,” a news release stated. The firm is located in Burlington and handles areas of law including divorce and family law and criminal defense.

• Verizon Wireless and Comcast announced they will sell each other’s services in Vermont and “deliver a variety of offers and incentives for new and existing customers.”

Qualified customers of the two companies may be eligible for offers and incentives such as a prepaid Visa card, an HD DVR and an upgrade to Blast!, an Xfinity Internet service.